Put Your Records On
by RhiannonAmaris
Summary: Zutara songfics, mostly written for the Shuffle challenge on LiveJournal. Track Eight Shipbuilding It's just a rumour that was spread around town, to the women and children.
1. Track One Bengali In Platforms

Track One- Bengali In Platforms by Morrissey

Written for the Shuffle challenge on livejournal. Of all the Morrissey or Smiths songs on my iPod, I get _this_ one. I had to turn it sideways a few times and hammer to make this one fit. Post-war, Zuko has been made Fire Lord. tCoD has happened.

'_Break the news to me gently, oh break the news to me gently.'_

'_Life is hard enough when you belong here.'_

It was killing him to watch her. She was trying, Spirits knew she was trying, but she didn't have a clue. How could she, born to a tiny village eking out a living from the ice and the sea. The Royal Court of the Fire Nation was the most elegant and eloquent nest of vipers to have ever drawn breath.

He had trouble dealing with it and he had been born to rule it. Dear, sweet, nurturing Katara didn't stand a chance. He couldn't let her stay, for her own sake. Given the slightest opportunity these people would tear her apart. He had to do the right thing. For her.

"Katara. We need to talk." They were walking in the garden, alone (but for the ever present servants) for the first time in weeks. He took gently by the arm and led her away from the always watching eyes, the always listening ears.

"I'm assuming this is about the ship leaving for the South Pole in the morning?" Her voice was mild, but her eyes were colder than the ice she'd grown up on. He started guiltily. "What? Were you going to break the news to me gently?" Now the bitterness leaked into her voice, as it hadn't since Ba Sing Se. "So, is there a reason, or have you just gotten tired of me? Has one of those… Those painted asps that call themselves Ladies caught your eye? Just _tell_ me Zuko."

"You think it's bad now? Do you really think you can handle all the whispers and lies and knives in the back? Because, Katara, they haven't even gotten warmed up. You haven't seen anything yet." His voice was broken. "Katara, it's hard enough when you belong here."


	2. Track Two If I Could

Track Two- If I Could by Seal

Set during the final battle in tCoD. I'm still trying to convince myself something like this is what he was thinking.

'_If I could, I'd make you understand.'_

'_I know that someday we're going to end our war.'_

The pain was almost physical. The look in her eyes had wounded him as surely as any knife. Two months ago he wouldn't have cared, yesterday he couldn't imagine ever seeing the Avatar or any of his friends again, ten minutes ago he wouldn't have thought he'd been doing battle with them again. Yesterday he never would have thought the confused, half buried, barely understand glimmer of _something_ he felt for the water-bender _(Katara)_ would ever surface, let alone have the slightest chance of possibly being _returned_. Well, that was most likely true again. Ten more minutes. There wasn't anything he wouldn't have given for ten more minutes. He'd seen the same shine of hope and the seeds of… Hell he wasn't even sure _what,_ but it didn't look like he'd be finding out soon, or far more likely, ever. If only he could _explain_.

The Avatar had played right into her hands. Azula planned to a tee, He more resources at her hand than he ever had, was one of the most powerful fire-benders ever and, as Father had told him so many times, was born lucky. There was no chance of beating Azula. Not here, not now. She had more of the Dai Li in reserve. The only slim chance he could think of was to let his sister believe he'd fallen for her lies and pray to Agni that he could stab her in the back before she could do the same to him.

"I thought you changed!" She screamed at him, anger and betrayal writ clear in her eyes.

"I have." And if he could, he'd make her understand. But now wasn't the time and chances were it would never come.


	3. Track Three M1 A1

Track Three-M1 A1 by Gorillaz

Though this song has lyrics I decided to just act as if it was an instrumental and go with what word associations I got from the song. I came up with _desperation_, _loneliness_ and _movement_. This takes place any time before the season two finale.

Katara ran, nearly tripping in her effort to keep up with him. If they stilled, even for a moment it would be the death of them both. Funny, usually when she was running like this it was from _him_. She slowed, her lungs burning, and Zuko grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him. "No stopping." He gasped out and darted down yet another alley. How he had come to know these streets so well she couldn't even guess. "Doubt we've lost them."

There wasn't time to question why he was helping her, why he was here, only to run and keep her eyes peeled for a flash of pink or black and red. They struggled to breath and held onto each others hand like a lifeline.


	4. Track Four Sorrow Will Come In The End

Track Four- Sorrow Will Come In the End by Morrissey

What can I say? I like Morrissey. This one fit pretty easily. Much angst though. This could possibly be the other side of Track Two.

'_And you think you've won.'_

'_And as sure as my words are pure, I praise the day that brings you pain.'_

To think she had believed him. Katara looked down at Aang's broken body in her arms. To think that she had thought that he had changed, that she'd thought he could be an ally, a friend… Or something more.

Her eyes grew hard. They thought they'd won. They'd learn differently. He would regret this day.


	5. Track Five Heroes From Our Past

Track Five- Heroes From Our Past by the Dropkick Murphys

The first version of this was one part reincarnation fic, one part Breakfast Club, and one part 10 Things I Hate About You. Didn't really fit the song, but it got me kind unstuck.

_And so the story's told of a hearty group of men, it's a tale of their triumphs and their woes. Be it raids and melees ancient or the modern worker's struggle that inspires men to stand up for their rights. And should we fall down by the wayside in this ever-changing world we can look back to the heroes of our past. With their staunch determination and ferocious iron will, no tyranny would quell them in their task.'_

Blue eyes met gold. "Do you think we'll make it? Do you think we'll defeat my father?" He strapped his Dao to his side.

"Of course we will. We're the good guys. We always win." She smiled at him, ran her hand along the scar that marked his face. It was the most intimate gesture she had ever made in front of the others. Hell, they'd never even done anything but share a few shy, gentle kisses, but…

Toph rolled her sightless, all seeing eyes and muttered something about Oma and Shu. Her brother frowned, getting his own weapons together.

If he was going to endure the death glare he might as well earn it. "Katara." He caught her about the waist and pulled her flush against him. She molded herself to him as he lowered his head and plundered her mouth. He drew away for breath and looked down at her flushed face. "For luck."

"I think we'll need more luck Zuko." Her eyes sparkled as she leaned in for another kiss.

Blue eyes met gold. "Quickly. They must not find you." There was a quiet strength in the girl's eyes as she beckoned to the young man half carrying the old one. He followed her, not so much because he trusted her, but because death was certain if he didn't. He was from the wrong clan, at least according to those who now ruled the country. So he followed and prayed he would be able to find a place to tend to his father.

They spent a week in a hidden room in her family's cellar before Father was well enough to move. Late at night she'd come down and bring food and medicine and sit and talk with him. He knew her family wasn't happy about the last. It was dangerous enough that they were here at all. But still she sat up half every night with him, talking about old stories and poems (_Oma and Shu, Zuko and Katara_), the turn of the seasons. Anything and everything but the atrocities that raged outside. Once he reached out for her hand and she let him. Once she had gently cradled his cheek as he drifted in and out of restless sleep. He didn't know her name— it was better that way. What he didn't know couldn't hurt her. What he didn't know he couldn't be forced to betray.

When Father was better they were smuggled out of town. The Resistance would have sent them both out of the country, but he had joined them instead. He'd fight and one day he would find out her name.

Blue eyes met gold. The former glared and the latter were annoyed. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?" The young woman spat venomously. A few score of tired, hungry, worn angry men turned to watch him.

"You know this guy Sari?" That would be Patrick, the son, then. He was in his mid-twenties and smaller than most of the other men, but seemed no less tough. His eyes narrowed, looking over the tall, thin man in a cheap suit.

"I just know who he is." The twenty year old girl continued to glare at the newcomer. "Snooping around for your father, Mr. DeLint?" She asked, oh so sweetly.

The strikers stood, ready pile in.

"Hardly, Miss Robb." He replied. "That would be what Mr. Murphy there is doing." He nodded towards a brawny man with cunning eyes. "I just figured I'd offer my services. It might have taken me a while to finish law school, but that's because I made my own way instead of taking the blood money."

"Hold on, what?!" Patrick Robb, who'd taken his jailed father's place as head organizer some months ago, looked from DeLint to Murphy, trying to figuring out who to hit first. "Why should I believe you? How did you know he's Murphy? And why the _hell_ do we want _your_ help?"

"To answer the first, because I knew he was Murphy. I saw him leaving my father's house this morning. The butler said his name. I can't really think of any other reason he'd be there, so he must be a sca--" There was a commotion as Murphy throw a punch. DeLint dodged the first one and rolled with the second.

"Break it up _now._" Sari yelled over the sudden noise. When no one moved to stop the fight she pushed her way through the crowd to take care of it herself, which caused her brother to spring into action.

In seconds both men were held back and moments after that only Murphy was. DeLint dabbed at his cut lip with a handkerchief. Patrick and the other men had a whispered conversation and went through the restrained man's pockets. "That is _a lot_ of money."

"Thirty silver." All eyes turned towards him. "You can handle scabs and hired thugs. Lawyers, bought judges, cops, that sort of thing? For that you need someone like me. Preferably a lot of someones like me, but…" He shrugged. "I'm a start."

They stared at him, not quite sure how to react. "What the hell. Isn't like we've got much to _lose._" Robb shrugged and walked away.

His sister held out her hand, her eyes full of questions. "Welcome aboard Mr. DeLint."

"Call me Michael." Gold eyes met blue.

FIN

_A.N.-I thought about adding in a version of the high school AU that got this started, but it kinda sucked and the (plot) bunny ran away._


	6. Track Six Walk On

Track Six-Walk On by U2

And now for some Bluetara. Kinda. Oh, and a bit of angst. It took me I while to come up with this, in part because I'm kind of blah about the song. My reaction when it came up was 'Why the hell did I put this on my computer? I didn't even like this album.' Ah, post Achtung Baby U2, god forbid you put more than three good songs on an album. Granted, this is one of them. Needless to say long since traded in at CD Source. Gotta love the used record store.

'_The only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.'_

"You don't have to do this." Katara sat up in the bed. She looked on as her husband, who had tried not to wake her, readied himself to go out. "You don't have to keep doing this."

Years had gone by and the former enemies had wed. Iroh and Zuko had both refused the crown; no one had wanted to see Sozin's line on the throne. They both supported the same distant relative's claim to the Burning Throne. Zyrus was a quiet man who'd avoided the war and had been just to the people of his province. It had not been a popular decision, but simply the best available choice. Zuko's only duties now were to the land he'd been granted and to his wife and children.

Zuko paused in pulling on a high necked black shirt. "Yes I do." It would have sounded stalwart and matter of fact if it hadn't been muffled. "Someone has to." He strapped his swords to his back. "There's no one else."

"There's the Fire Lord, there's magistrates, there's the Army." She was suggesting the Fire Nation Army as a solution to a problem. How times had changed. So had the Fire Nations military though, most of it was barely competent these days. The rest of world was happier with that. "There's **_Aang_**." But there would be the Blue Spirit. There was _always_ the Blue Spirit.

Though the War had been over for more than a decade the Fire Nation was not a restful place. You couldn't swing a lemur without hitting a noble that thought _he_ should be on the throne. If it wasn't that it was rebels. If it wasn't rebels it was bandits. If it wasn't that it was rogue invaders from the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe who wasn't pleased with the fact the people of Fire still existed. For the most part it was one little problem after another. Except of course if nothing was done they became anything but small.

"Zyruses' hands are tied, even when he can see the problem. Half the time the military _is_ the problem, or at least turning a deliberately blind eye." He sighed "And it appears the Avatar has _other_ things to deal with." Even now there was more than a touch of bitterness in his voice when he spoke of the younger man. She understood that now.

Her own friendship with her foster brother had long ago grown strained, for a great many reasons.

Katara sighed. She'd let him go out and prowl the night, when time was she would have been out there beside him. She'd wait at home with the children and be ready to mend him if he broke. She stood and took the too familiar blue mask from his hands. She kissed his mouth and placed the oni's visage over her beloved's face. "Be safe tonight."

He'd spent the whole of his life trying to do the right thing for his country. He couldn't leave it behind and she wouldn't ask it of him.


	7. Bonus Track Heaven

**A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens**

_Heaven, heaven is a place, a place where nothing, nothing ever happens_.

She'd stumbled upon the tea shop in the days between when they found Appa and they'd left Ba Sing Se. She'd wandered through the upper tiers, thinking about Jet's fate. She'd entered the shop to avoid a sudden shower and had sat at a small table and waited for someone to come and take an order for tea she didn't particularly want. While she waited she let the chatter of the crowd wash over her, catching a phrase here and there.

"…_in the lower ring…"_

"_Did you hear about Chin's daughter? I don't know what…"_

"…_really a shame about the scar, he'd be quite…"_

And then there was a voice familiar, only not, because _he_ would never use that tone. Almost normal, but respectful with a buried tinge of _fear_. "What would you like Miss?"

She looked at her server calmly, because it couldn't be him, not in Ba Sing Se, certainly not _here._ There were the golden eyes though, and the scar that dominated the left side of his face, but instead of the shaved head and topknot he had a shaggy growth of brown-black hair. Though it _couldn't_ be him, Prince Zuko the Fire Lord's son, not dressed in the brown and green of the Earth Kingdom, most defiantly not in a tea server's apron. Not with silent pleading and a touch of terror in those eyes instead of arrogance and anger.

"Jasmine please. And a small ginger cake." She met his eyes and read relief and confusion.

It was getting towards evening and after the rain let up most of the patrons had begun to head home. Soon only the two of them and the old man who Azula had struck by lightning were left. "I see that your… Uncle?... is alright." She said softly as he took her plate away.

His eyes met hers for a split second then he looked down. "Thank the spirits. I should…" It took him forever to accept change, and it shamed him now. Of late his head had flooded with what-ifs. Not letting the water-bending peas—girl—help Uncle had been amongst the chief. Oddly speaking out for the 41st hadn't even been on the list. Even now he had trouble admitting he had been wrong, but… He met her eyes again. "I should have let you help."

Off near the back of the shop Iroh dropped a teapot. Neither noticed.

What could she say to that? 'Yes, you should have.' True as it was, he'd been there enemy, which meant they were his. He had no reason to trust them. He had no way to know she was a healer. So instead she shrugged and said, "It looks like it turned out alright though."

He sighed, looked at the tray in his hands and the apron he wore, obviously frustrated. Then he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm not sure I've seen him this happy since…" Before Lu Ten died. "I was a boy." A wry smile played over his lips. "He's running a tea shop and filling our flat with knick-knacks." He rolled his eyes. "I don't know where he finds some of… What?"

She was staring. Katara tore her eyes away and blushed. "I don't think I've ever seen you smile before." He had seemed so normal. The woman she'd overheard earlier had been wrong. He was handsome and she couldn't even imagine him without the scar.

"I… um… I…" And he wildly grasped for something to say, but stood there gaping like a fish. He could feel his cheeks warm.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't… I…" What had she been thinking to say that? To see him like that though… 'My family is so embarrassing.' And his smile, oh his smile. It was really just as well that she hadn't seen this side of him before. Had his eye's always been like that? They used to be so cold, but now they were warm and soft and she felt as if she was going to melt into them. "I should get going." She put down some coins and all but fled.

She returned to the apartment the Earth King had given her, wishing there was someone to talk to, but even if the others were still in Ba Sing Se who could she have gone to. Sokka would want to track Zuko down and try to kill him. Toph would just laugh her head off and spend the next Spirits-know-how-long dropping little mocking hints into the conversation. And Aang… She would have to be blinder than Toph to not see how he felt about her. That while she thought of him as a younger brother, he certainly didn't think of her as a sister. She didn't know what she would say to him when he finally professed his 'love' for her. However she could hardly confess to him that she thought she was falling in live with their former worst enemy.

Oh Spirits. Love? Because of a few shared words and a smile that reached warm eyes? She couldn't be. This was madness. She was going insane. Someone must have slipped her some cactus juice.

She hugged her pillow to her and stared out the window at the moon. "Yue help me make sense of this."

Zuko finished sweeping the shop and put away the broom. "Are you done Uncle?" The general turned tea-maker tidied one last thing and looked around his domain.

"It would appear so Zuko." One of the first things his nephew had done after recovering from the fever had been to ask him not to call him 'Prince'. _'What need of titles is there between family?'_ "The young lady that stayed so long seemed familiar." Iroh mentioned it casually.

The banished prince shook his head. "You know as well as I who that was." There was no anger in his reply and only a hint of impatience. Mostly that his elderly relative wouldn't just come out and say what he meant. "I don't think Katara will give us away."

Iroh raised an eyebrow. 'Katara' was it? Not 'the Water-Tribe peasant' or 'Water-Tribe girl' or even 'the Water Bender'. "That's good to know. The young lady left in quite a hurry. What did the two of you talk about?"

"Nothing much. It was getting late and she needed to get home." Zuko knew that look all too well. It never boded well for him. "Leave it _alone_ Uncle." His tone was humorous, but firm.

Iroh contained his shock and closed shop. There was something he wasn't saying.

He didn't know why he was thinking of her. If was worrying about her turning them into the Dai Li it would make sense, but this? Contemplating her eyes, her smile? Oh Agni! No, no, no.

Was he insane? It was just… She knew who he was. She knew he was Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation, not Li, refugee nephew of a tea-maker. It was just the small comfort of not having to lie. And if he had a bit of a crush, well, what of it. She was a lovely girl and he wouldn't be the first to admire her from afar.

It wasn't as if she would be back. She'd only stayed as long as she had because of tinge of unreality over the whole thing. He'd caught the air of 'that might look and sound exactly like him, but given the situation it can't possibly be' that she'd had when she'd ordered her tea. And then reality had set in and she'd run like hell.

He wasn't sure why he thought she wouldn't turn them in. Instinct. So they were safe for the time being.

Then what? He couldn't spend the rest of his life serving tea. He had duties. Not to capture the Avatar (he could finally see that for a wild pig-goose chase), not to his father, but to the Fire Nation and its people. He knew that Onzai and Azula didn't give a tinker's damn about them. How he could do anything for them, that was the question. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to do. What he _could_ do. He was just one man, banished and disowned. Father had surely named Azula his heir…

And he sat up as he remembered that night so long ago. Of what he had heard before he'd ran. Of grandfather's reaction to what father had proposed. Of what Azula had taunted him with before Mother had come in. Of what Mother had said to him the last time he had ever saw her and he finally understood what it _meant_.

He knew what he had to do, but not how to do it.

That was all that was left was to figure how then.

He sighed. Easier said than done.

**Fin**

I started this fic months ago. The day after 'the Earth King' aired I think. It sat in a notebook for a month, and then I got unstuck and finished it. Then it sat in the notebook for another month or so and I found it again and typed it in. And it sat on the hard drive and I forgot about it again. Gah.  
So here it is my version of the teashop scenario. It started out as a songfic to the Talking Heads song Heaven, but it went off on a tangent. I guess it could be a bonus track for the shuffle challenge (which I still have three fics to go on). I hope you enjoy.


	8. Track 8 Shipbuilding

Track Eight- Shipbuilding by Elvis Costello

'_With all the will in the world, diving for dear life when we could be diving for pearls.'_

'_Is it worth it?'_

'_It's just a rumor that was spread around town for the women and children.'_

"Is it worth it?" Katara hissed from where she was bound to a chair. She knew he was there, even if he hadn't spoken a word yet and she couldn't see him. "Is your precious 'lost honor' worth it? Aang dead, spirits alone know what's happened to your uncle--"

All of a sudden she was staring at the ceiling, the back of her head a few inches from the stone floor. It took her a moment to realize that one of Zuko's feet hooked through the chair's rung was all that was keeping her from falling over completely. She didn't know why he'd bothered. She could see him now though. He was dressed more richly than he had ever been back when he had the ship. His _eyes_ though, they were tired and filled with sorrow. For a moment it made her think of the boy in the cave (how messed up was it that even now she clung to those few minutes), and the moment of longing redoubled her anger.

"Did you see a corpse then?" He spoke softly, confusing her. "Because if you're talking about how Azula captured and killed the Avatar, that's just a rumor they were hoping to catch you… or one of the others with." He sighed. "Looks like it worked." He sounded… Resigned? "None of the Dai Li are here at the moment. The knots at your wrist are loose. A shame how a little water-tribe peasant was able to get past me and find the tunnel that's hidden five feet beyond the second left hand turn in the corridor outside Azula's study. We can only hope you didn't find the plans in there. Though, word to the wise, I doubt those are real. Azula thinks in wheels within wheels, no telling what's going on in there other than it's unpleasant."

She stared up at him. He righted the chair.

"Well are you going to sit there all day or are you going to escape?"


End file.
